NaDave Aussie: Feb 21/22 (Sydney)

Nadine & I were wondering how/where we'd be able to fit a trip to Sydney...we knew we'd only be able to spend a weekend there because of how we decided to prioritize our trips/holidays

We had the plans for Sydney figured out, but just needed to pull the trigger...some plans changed around, so we made a quick move to head to Sydney by overnight train!

Friday Feb 20

Nadine and I met comfortably at the downtown train station on Friday evening for our 8pm departure to Sydney.  We each packed one backpack, some food/dinner, and our neck pillows.

Now when I saw overnight train, I imagine everyone thinks a sleeper car with a bed.  Well this train had those, but they were too $$$.  The trains were however running a special in February to ride in economy (w/ student discount) for $60 one-way.  So we each booked a round-trip ticket for $120 total!  And since it was overnight, we didn't need to book a hotel either night.  But we did need our eye shades, our survival bag-o-wine, and low expectations

 Our Travel & Sleeping Accommodations

Saturday Feb 21

The train was quiet and the sleeping was manageable (similar to sleeping on a flight, but a little more leg room).  We were 10 minutes outside Sydney station, and then the train stopped.  There was a freight train on our tracks, so we were stuck!  We were suppose to arrive at 650am & then connect to a regional train at 715am (to the Blue Mtns).  We ended up rolling in at 715am, and then bolted off the train.  Good thing Nadine had her ears perked, bc she heard that the train we needed to catch was running late on Track 1.  So we ran into the ticket center, booked 2 tickets, then jumped on.  If things just ran on smoothly time...there'd be no need for these long stories :-P 

We then rode a regional train to Katoomba, home of the Blue Mtns, and arrived at 930a.  The day before, the forecast said clear and sunny, but we had no such luck.  It was drizzly with the visibility of a 'bed sheet over your head'.  (See the picture).  We still hiked to some waterfalls, which was real nice, but there was nothing to be seen in the valley.  So we cut this part of the trip short by 2-3 hrs.  We hopped on the 130p train back into Sydney, and decided instead to get more time in the city.

We got back into Sydney at 330p, and headed straight to a nearby 4pm Hot Vinyasa yoga class.  The studio was awesome & the class was great (especially after all the trains).  We then headed to a local pub voted top local beers (it was a rugby bar too!), and then stopped for a quick drink & tacos at a mexican dive bar (even Nadine couldn't handle the 'Slow Death' hot sauce).

We then headed to check-in at the YHA Sydney. It was the first hostel experience for each of us!   We each shared a 6-person room (Nadine all ladies; Dave all guys).  It was like freshmen year all over again...3 bunk beds & tight quarters.

We then headed back out to pig out on some local Thai food and then walk over to see the Chinese New Year decorations in Chinatown.  We then set our alarms for 6am, to get an early start on our Bridge day!

Blue Mountains Postcard

Blue Mountains Visibility

Leura Cascades

Chinese New Year

Sunday Feb 22

We both woke up hot, sweating, & in a daze (this a hostel remember, not a Holiday Inn).  Our bodies wanted more sleep, but it was time to start the day!  We each crept out of our 'dorm rooms' at 630a, and then caught a subway towards to the North Sydney bridge.

Dave was like a little kid on Christmas morning when we got to the subway stop.  This pool might be the most famous in the pool & the weather was sunny!    I could talk for hours about the pool...but there's nothing quite like doing backstroke and seeing the Sydney Harbor Bridge!  Wow!  We swam and got pictures for an hour & then hopped on the subway to catch our 10am BridgeClimb booking.

We got our tickets, finished our leftover Thai food from last night for breakfast, then got suited up to climb the bridge.  We marched up through the guts of the bridge and onto the top.  What an awesome experience & an amazing view (reminder: we sent our pics/vids in an earlier email).

We then rented bikes to cruise around the city.  We went to Hyde Park, Oxford St (LGBT part of town), the Sydney sports stadiums, a laneway with birdcages, the Botanical Gardens and ended the day down at the Opera house.  We had enough time here to exhale and take in the harbor & bridge on a park bench as the sun was setting low in the day.

We then hoofed back to the train station, only to be blocked off by the Chinese New Year parade!  AHH!  We had to creatively circum-navigate back to the train station, but made our 830p departure.  What a day!  How did do we do it?

North Sydney Olympic Pool

Dave mesermized by the bridge

Nadine Swimming

Birdcage Laneway

Steps of Sydney Opera House

Dave tackling a rugby statue outside the stadium

Monday Feb 23

We each slept much harder on the train ride back to Melbourne (as expected).  We were 10 mins away from the train station, when again, the train stopped.  An unknown package was found on the tracks, so we had to wait an hr to be cleared!  We rolled into downtown Melbourne, each made our connections, and made it into work Monday morning....just as if nothing exciting had happened over the weekend  :-)

NaDave Aussie: Feb 14/15 (Cricket)

It's been almost a month since my last travel log (Feb 11), so its time to catch up!

Heading into Nadine's 29th Birthday weekend & Valentine's Day, we had plans to head back into Melbourne to catch a World Cup Cricket match...we also finally got paid for the first time on Feb 13, so we had $$ to do things again!  Hooray!

Feb 14 

So our Saturday morning started with a quiet plan to hit up Melbourne & then head to the Cricket match....but as Robert Frost once said "The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected".

We each boarded trains ~7am headed into downtown Melbourne (Nadine starting in Geelong & Dave starting in Bundoora).  We each woke up to some heavy rain & we quickly found out that rain means delayed and canceled trains.  Nadine arrived into downtown about an hour late, but that seemed tame compared to Dave's trip.  For Dave, his 1st subway line went about 5 stops, then stopped b/c the line was shut down.  They had courtesy buses to take people into downtown, but buses don't allow bikes (as Dave learned from his flat tire experience) so Dave then biked 4 miles over to the other subway line (inthe rain), hoping that that line was running.  Sure enough, that line was shut down too.  So Dave said "screw this" and decided to just hoof it downtown on his bike.  He got another flat tire ~5 minutes away from the train station where Dave & Nadine were going to originally meet.  So instead Dave headed to a nearby bike shop, and got the flat repaired.  Nadine met Dave at the bike shop and then we gave each other a big "Birthday & Valentine's Day" hug after a stressful morning (public transit is great, but man, do we miss having a vehicle!)

After re-setting ourselves, we headed to the South Melbourne Market, less touristy & a little more intimate than the Queen Victoria market we had visited the weekend prior.  We bought some food, had a little picnic, and just took inthe market.  We then headed to a bar that sits under a bridge on the Yarra River & grabbed a pre-Cricket match beverage.  We could see the MCG stadium from the pub & also the large crowds of locals wearing Aussie Yellow & Green. 

It was then time to head our first Cricket match!  And it was a World Cup match!  AND it was Australia vs England!!  These are loving rivals, like older brother (ENG) vs younger brother (AUS).  The stadium was packed with 80,000 people!  I can explain Cricket later, but after 7-8 hrs, the Australians won!  The weather was great, the crowds were a hoot, and two sports engineers that arein love couldn't be happier spending Valentine's Day enjoying a new sport.  I hate to say it, but we are now Cricket fans!

We then hopped a night train to Geelong, shared a pizza for dinner, and had a few glasses of wine & several laughs after a long day.

Our valentine's day picnic (with wine in a paper cup)

drinks at the pub under the bridge

view from our seats at the cricket match

we snuck down tothe lower bowl!  the stadium is huge!

action shot!

Feb 15

Dave woke up early and headed to Torquay to surf for his 3rd timae in Aussie, while Nadine needed to stay back and finish some PhD work.  Dave got back from Torquay in the afternoon, and then NaDave headed out on a Boat tour of the Geelong Bay (with a 2-for-1 coupon of course!)  There were drinks, snacks, and a blues band that sounded great!  The guitarist even started playing with an empty beer bottle!

We also got a recommendation from a local for a back-alley dessert shop, so on our way home, we stopped there and had some amazing Ice Tea & a sampler of their cakes.  So Delicious!

Two drinks on the boat cruise (holding Nadine's drink, of course!)

Guitarist playing with a beer bottle

As usual, it was an eventful NaDave weekend, but another great one!

NaDave Aussie: 31/32 (Cycling Race) & 38/39 (Melbourne)

After our action-packed weekend in Tassie...we decided to take it slow & spend a couple weekends staying in one place (1 in Geelong & 1 in Melbourne).  We knew we could both use the R&R, and our wallets also needed the break!

We found out that Cadel Evans (the Lance Armstrong of Australia) was having his final ride in Geelong on Sunday, Feb 1st.  There would be a Men's professional bike race, with riders from the Tour de France, riding near Nadine's Apartment!  There would also be a Pro Women's race on Saturday, as well as all the fanfare that goes with a big sporting event.

Also, Nadine's roommate Pearl (who owns a little store & an apartment indowntown Melbourne) offered to let Nadine & I stay in her apartment over the weekend for FREE.  How awesome!  We saw it as a sign to celebrate Nadine's 29th birthday early!  As a result, we made plans to explore Melbourne....which included a dance class, a professional soccer match, and the local market

Saturday Jan 31 (Day 31)

In the late morning, we walked to downtown Geelong to the Start/Finish line of the bike race.  We saw the start of Pro Women's ride & then walked around the festival.  We wandered around the booths & each got some free souvenirs.  On the walk back to Nadine's apartment, we popped into a local antique shop and looked around.  We then hustled home, packed a lunch, and hustled to a steep hill where the Women cyclists would ride by.  

As the riders got closer, it was like a parade!  Several vehicles came through to clear the road ahead of the riders & also 4 helicopters were in the sky for TV coverage to follow the peloton.  And then the 4 leaders came up the hill, followed by the rest of the riders.  Very awesome to watch all the ladies power up the hill.

We then headed back and looked for a local pub to watch Serena Williams inthe Women's Aussie Open Final play against Maria Sharapova.  (It was extra neat bc Serena is USA and we saw Maria when went to the Open on Jan 19).  We found the biggest sports bar in town, bought a pitcher of their coldest beer, and sat among the locals.  We watched Serena win the Championship...and also saw the Australian National Soccer team win the Asian Cup, so the crowd at the bar was super rowdy!

Start of the Womens Ride

How steep the hill is

Sunday Feb 1 (Day 32)

On Sunday, we headed out to the same spot on bike route to watch the Men climb the hill.  They did four laps at the end of the race, so we got to watch them go by 4 times.  We moved to the other side of the road...and they were sooo close we could have touched them!  We saw Cadel up close & also saw the pain on all their faces.  We also saw some of riders that were in an earlier crash ride by...their mega road rash made you give them instant respect.

Cadel up close

Men Ride up the hill

Friday Feb 6 (Day 37)

We met at the Melbourne train station and then walked 5 minutes to Pearl's apartment (right by the station, wow!).  Up the elevator we went to the 44th floor, and had an amazing view of the skyline & Melbourne Bay shoreline.  

We got ready for Nadine's Bday gift (picked out by her)....a Bachata dance lesson!  It was a blast!  It was inside a small cocktail bar, and there were 10 total people.  Just enough to be a group, but not so many that you get lost.  Nadine fit right in after a couple minutes...and after some persistence, Dave got the hang of it too!  After the lesson, they played latin music, and we practiced our new dance.  We were the young, cute couple on the dance floor that looked a little stiff, but were laughing & smiling the whole time!

We then walked around the surrounding streets, bar hopped a little bit, and met a guy from California who wanted to talk about 'America'.  What a great night! 

View from Apt

Saturday Feb 7 (Day 38)

It was explore 'downtown Melbourne Day'.  We got breakfast at a cafe, wandered & window shopped around their "arcades" & gazed at the wall graffiti along their "laneways".  We then escaped the 95 degree heat at an awesome outdoor bar called 'Section 8' & listened to live band while drinking red Sangria.

We then headed to an inter-city rivalry soccer match, Melbourne Victory v Melbourne City.  It was Dave's first soccer match & the 40,000 crowd was very energetic!  Whenever Victory scored a goal, there would be open flame & smoke in the stands (whoa).  There was a skirmish on the field & a skirmish inthe crowd.  Because the game was 3-0 blowout at the end, Nadine & I snuck down to the lower bowl and sat 10 rows off the field in the final 5 minutes.

After the game, we headed for a local bar that was not-for-profit (shebeen).  All proceeds go to 3rd world countries.  We shared some white Sangria and Dave learned about a new drink for his future, the Espresso Martini (no vodka tho!).

Bachata dance lessons

Nadine Graffiti

Dave Graffiti

Section 8 bar

Victory Scores a Goal!

Sunday Feb 8 (Day 39)

We headed in the other direction of downtown, to the Queen Victoria Market.  A Melbourne staple.  We walked up and down every aisle & found out there's aNadine potatoe!  (Available all year round, nadine potatoes are an all-purpose potato....hehe)  We had samples of fresh fruit, bought some small bakery delights & tried some fresh bbq seafood.  Nadine resisted from buying shoes, handbags & dresses...while Dave saved his money to purchase a new bike tire (due to his blown tire on the Thursday before).

For lunch, we headed to the Ferdydurke pub bc they had free food (its also the name of a famous polish book).  And we GORGED out on the free food.  We stuffed our bellies so full, we had to walk home with our shoulders back!  We then packed up, said goodbyes (and few hugs & kisses too!) and headed homein opposite directions.

Queen Victoria Market - BBQ seafood

Monday Feb 9

Nadine came home in the evening to a HUGE spider...I'll let her tell you about it.

THE SPIDER was as big as my palm and could have borrowed my razor to shave its hairy legs!

The Story:

I came home from a long day and got out my USM work computer and some leftovers for dinner in the kitchen.  I sat down and out of the corner of my eye saw something on the wall beside/above me-- a HUGE spider.  I called Dave w/no answer (I think he was commuting and/or at yoga).  I then texted him "huge spider emergency call me right away!"  In the mean time I stared at the spider (lost my appetite!) and the spider stared back at me.  It was a spider-human stalemate. 

Dave called back 2-5 min later and I was in the same position, staring frightfully at 'Spidey.'  As soon as I heard Dave's voice, tears started streaming down my face and I said, "Everything is OK, but I'm just really afraid and I am home alone and I have to kill it!  Because if I don't, then I won't know where it is and it will just be in the house somewhere!"  We talked through it and I slowly inched away from the table, put on some running shoes and grabbed the Swiffer sweeper from the laundry room, keeping one eye on the furry infiltrator.  

With Dave on speakerphone, I stood on the chair and approached the spider from the side.  I warned Dave, "If you hear me screaming, it's OK.  I will scream because I'm scared, not because I'm hurt!"  Then I proceeded to hit and scream and hit and scream until the thing was dead.  It took 6 sincere hits with the swiffer to kill the spider.  

After it died, I took some pictures with my phone to prove my bravery!  My heart was racing.  Then I gave Spidey a burial at sea (i.e., toilet flush) to honor his efforts as a worthy adversary!  I have never seen a spider move that fast!  It was like lightning!  

So there ya go, the legend of the spider concludes.

Nadine

NaDave Aussie: 22-26 (Tasmania) part 2

Day 24 (Sat)

We awoke to another beautiful view & and had a warm shower to start the day.  We then drove downtown for the Salamanca Market.  It is listed as a "must-do" on all the lists, and it certainly was!  There were over 300 booths & we spent over 4 hrs there.  It was a great way to take in some local flavor.

From there we headed to critically acclaimed MONA (Museum of New Art) for wine tasting & a tour.  The wine tasting was incredible...and the museum not so much.  But thats all part of the experience!

Next we drove up to Mt Wellington to get a great view of the city.  After that, we got on the road, to cut some hrs off the drive to Cradle Mtn.  We stayed overnight at a free campground...we made a small campfire, drank some wine, and the view of the stars was incredible.  Another great day!

Morning View

MONA wine tasting

View from Mt. Wellington

Day 25 (Sun)

We awoke to steady rain, which meant a wet tent.  We packed up quickly, and got on the road.  Today was a major driving day.  Maybe 8 hrs total.  We got to Cradle Mtn around 1pm, and were welcomed with a forecast for snow on our hike around Dove Lake.  Well the forecast was right, and we had a wintry mix!  It never got miserable on the hike, but we laughed at ourselves several times.  We were gonna do the hike no matter what!

We finished the hike wet & cold, headed back to the visitor center, then headed off to Launceston (the other major city in Tassie).  We had our sites set on a celebratory fresh seafood sampler dinner (after days of peanut butter & bread)...and we did it up right!  Oysters, scallops, prawns, fish, shrimp..mmmm!

There was also an Australia Day Festival right by where we ate, and there were fireworks at dusk!  Very cool to see another country celebrate its independence day (remember, Tasmania is a state of Australia).  We then drove an hr down the road to a free campground, and headed right to bed to rest up for our final day.

Dove Lake @ Cradle Mountain

Dinner in Launceston

Day 26 (Mon)

We were up early again, and got on the road for the East coast of Tassie.  It was a clear blue sky day...and we started with a beer sampling at a local brewery at 9am!  We then headed towards for Bicheno, for a quick stop at a cafe overlooking the waterfront, and then headed towards Freycinet National Park.  

The main attraction at Freycinet (and maybe for all of Tassie) is Wineglass Bay...and it did not disappoint!  We hiked up to a view point...then hiked down to the beach.  The beach was something out of a Corona commercial.  Nadine & I packed swimsuits, and hopped in.  It was cold!  But we stunk so badly that is was well worth it.  The beach was very 'raw'...we even a saw dead penguin.

We looked at our watch, and it was time to head back.  From Freycinet, we headed to a local oyster farm for delicious oysters.  They were amazing and cheap (just how we like it!).  Nadine then had her eyes set on two neighboring wineries with free tastings that closed around 530p.  The wine was a perfect way to end our final day in Tassie.  We romantically shared the last of our trail mix, and then headed to the airport to fly out.  We landed back inMelbourne at 10p.

Beer Tasting

Bicheno Beach

Wineglass Bay View Point

Wineglass Bay Beach

Fresh Oysters at Oyster Farm

Say goodbye to our Steady Car!

WOW...what an amazing trip!  Who thought we'd ever go to Tasmania?!  It was worth every penny...and every lost minute of sleep

NaDave Aussie: 22-26 (Tasmania) part 1

So what I forgot to mention in the last email regarding our first camping experience...was that Nadine & I each woke up to a completely flat air mattress (maybe thats why we looked so great in that picture!)  So the Tues/Wed before Tassie included Dave taking a trip to KMart & Nadine heading to a book store to get a 'Lonely Planet Tasmania Book' (The Australia Book from Tanya & Manny had only a small section on Tassie...so we needed a 2nd resource!).

(Also, oddly, KMart & Aldi are big in Melbourne.  I thought KMart was gone for good!).   And one more thing...Tassie is pronounced "Tazzy"

Day 22 (Thurs)

We traveled with one checked bag (containing sleeping bags, tent, KMart air rafts, camping gear, & our clothes) and we each had a carry-on.  We flew with JetStar, and their checked bag policy is that you pre-pay by weight for your checked bag.  So we paid for 20kg...and we came in at 19.5kg!  (Man are we good!)  We left our carry-ons light, knowing that we would bring home gifts/souvenirs.

Nadine got to the airport via a direct Bus from Geelong.  She arrived at 630p.  Dave meanwhile got a free ride from his housemate (bc he lives only 20 mins from the airport).  That saved him about $40 for a cab ride, so that was a huge favor!

So we were standing in the security line at 650p for our 740p flight (boarding at 710p)...and we were a bit nervous.  However in Aussie, there really is no airport security (compared to the US), so we got through security super quick and, get this, never once did we have to show ID!  It was wonderful!  We also found a funny sign in the airport regarding Nadine's carry-on bag (see pic).

When we landed in Hobart...we divided and conquered...Dave got the rental car & Nadine got the luggage...and we were on the road by 915p.  Our first stop was a grocery store that closed at 10p!  We snuck in, got what we needed, and then got out.  We then decided to drive down to the Fortescue Bay campgroundin Tasman Nat Park, as this would put us in great position for our Friday plans.  We got in late, around 12p, but quickly setup our tent...and were officially settled in Tassie!!!!

High Sierra Bag

Day 23 (Fri)

We awoke on Friday morning to an early sun & an amazing sound of soft, crashing waves.  It was Fortescue Bay..and it was beautiful!  We were both up by 6am (bc we were so excited) and took a nice relaxing walk along the beach.  By being unable to see anything at night...and then an "unveiling" of everythingin the morning, it made the scenery of Tassie so awesome!

When then took off for Remarkable Cave & Port Arthur Historic Site.  We had the Cave to ourselves, and it was pretty cool to hear the rumble of the ocean as it echoed throughout the cave.  We then got to Port Arthur and took a tour of the grounds.  This is one of the places where prisoners from England would land in Aussie back in the 1800s.  It was known for being one of the worst places for living conditions (you can read about it online)

We then headed to see some Tasmanian Devils!  There aren't many in the wild, so you have to head to a conservatory.  We got there just in time for a feeding...and saw two devils go crazy on a carcass.  When they eat, they eat everything!  Meat, Fat, Bones & Fur.  And they also make a pretty intimidating snarl when they eat.  Unfortunately, there was no spinning around, and no sign of Bugs, Daffy, nor Yosemite Sam.

It was then off to the Northeast coast of Tasman National Park...we did about 3 hrs of hiking...and the coast is jaw-dropping.  The views & coastal islands look fake.  It may have been my favorite (and most unexpected part of the day).  From there we drove into Hobart, setup camp just outside of town, and then caught a bus into town to check the nightlife.  We hit up a couple pubs, and adistillery for a whiskey sampler.  The "highlight" of the night was our 'happy' selves missing the bus connection back to camp...long story short we took a cab home for a reasonable price (ha, oops!).

Fortescue Bay Beach

Driving to Port Arthur

Remarkable Cave

Port Arthur

Tasmanian Devils!

Tasman National Park Coast

Tasman 2... just beautiful

Downtown Hobart, Tasmania